# Why does the F.D. A. Want to rule of Cigars anyway.



## Bruced (May 20, 2017)

*Why does the F.D.A. Want to rule of & over Cigars anyway?*

B.A.T.F.E should be the. Body to regulates tobacco, as Bureau of Alcohol, Tax, Firearms, and Explosive should be the people making the rules.

I though F.D.A stood for Food & Drug Administration.

Honestly how did F.D.A. Become involved in this fight, I do know of something F.D.A control have to do with purity of food & drugs.

Please explain the reason F.D.A is even involved in Cigars, not a food or drug. Or is this all about F.D.A getting a licensing, or Cigar Tax from the manufactures.

Several weeks ago I was at a local event talking with a Rep. For a Cigar Importer/Wholesaler. Ask about rumors of a "NEW" line they were coming out with.

He said the new line was not new, but what was distributed to select shop on East Coast would be available nationally. He mentioned his company is not doing anything new until this F.D.A. Thing is settled in 9-12 months.


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## Kidvegas (Oct 17, 2016)

I'm definitely not in the "know" but, like all things surrounding smoking the Big Guy's are always on the lookout for new ways to push the second hand smoke narrative and that usually always results in higher taxes. In this case new lines of cigars having to pay outrageous fees before they even make a dime in sales. 

If they can't force ya to quit they'll just out price your products. Just look what they did to the cigarette market. $10 a pack it's like there own personal war of attrition! 




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## JustJoshua (Dec 7, 2016)

From what I have read they classify nicotine as a drug hence the FDA assumes the right to regulate its source. What I have read could be total bullocks as well. 


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## Bruced (May 20, 2017)

JustJoshua said:


> From what I have read they classify nicotine as a drug hence the FDA assumes the right to regulate its source. What I have read could be total bullocks as well.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nicotine could be the thing that made the F.D.A., say it our domaine also.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

Bureaucrats always want to expand their 'authority' so they can justify their existence and their budgets.

Much of the laws are actually pushed by corporate interests with money at stake. They have politicians push through legislation that will disadvantage their competitors. Often, their own lawyers write up the laws or regs.

IMO if people think these actions are taken with "the public interest" in mind, they are being incredibly naive.


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## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

Big Brother has to realize that when they finally do ban tobacco products, the tax revenue lost will cripple the US.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

DSturg369 said:


> Big Brother has to realize that when they finally do ban tobacco products, the tax revenue lost will cripple the US.


They won't ban it. They make money off it.

I won't go into it here, but the number of instances where actions by various agencies - FDA, CDC, NIH, US Dept of Ag, etc harmed rather than helped human health are legion. These agencies are captured by political and financial interests.


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## Gummy Jones (Mar 30, 2017)

because the government naturally wants to control everything


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## Sprouthog (Jul 25, 2012)

The spin is its good for the health and welfare of the country. 

The reality is it's another revenue stream.



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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

Heck, in a similar fashion, look at the ban on goods from Cuba including cigars.

The US has fought wars against England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Japan, China, and Vietnam . We trade with all these countries and are strongly allied with some of them. We never fought an outright war against Cuba (just very limited and ineffective CIA dirty tricks). So what's up ?

Florida is a key state in US Presidential election politics and the Cuban-American voting block opposes trade with Cuba. It's about domestic politics, not 'human rights'.

Same thing with the FDA power grab. Financial interests involving vaping had a lot to do with it. Filling loopholes used by the tiny vaping industry. 'Health' has nothing to do with it.

Its just speculation, but if you were in a big company and saw a lot of potential among the young crowd for the future of the growing vaping business, might not you want a part of that? And might you encourage expensive regs that drove the little guys out of business and left that lucrative market to you ?

This strategy has been used in many industries. Most of them are far larger than cigars, pipe tobacco, or vaping.


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## ebnash (Mar 5, 2017)

Because, as Joe Sticks mentioned, it is an opportunity for tax revenue and budgetary increase. The more projects and items they have to regulate, the more taxes can be created and of course, since its a government agency, they will need more budget to manage all of this.

As for why its the FDA? They have a lot of influence and power so sometime back, they classified nicotine as a drug because it is one of the biggest industries in the US and like any business, they want some market share, too.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

From what I understand it was more or less big tobacco going after the unregulated vape industry. Pipe tobacco and cigars got sucked in as collateral damage. After all we can't have ole Phillip mo losing money. Who would pay all the lobbyists.



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## Del Fuego (Mar 29, 2017)

It's because of the Tobacco Control Act. It was something that Obama signed back in 2009. The goal was to keep families informed about the dangers of smoking and to keep kids away from tobacco products and tobacco advertising.

All of this stuff is really about cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Cigars just get dragged along with it.


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## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

> If they can't force ya to quit they'll just out price your products. Just look what they did to the cigarette market. $10 a pack it's like there own personal war of attrition!


I quit when they got > $1 per pack. Just did the math and that was nearly 40 years ago. Holy crap!

Wait till you guys have to pay the taxes we pay. Anyway, since the legislations seems geared toward screwing new startups and grandfathering in old companies, I'd guess it is lobbyists trying to protect the economic interests of large companies losing market share to the plethora of boutique brands. But then as I've gotten older I've turned into a grassy knoll guy.


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## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Ooooooohhhhhh boy, how to get into this topic without stepping on political toes???? Hopefully we're not TOOOO Liberal here since we all just want to enjoy our lives AS WE SEE FIT. That said, the govt. can not function as is currently laid out without your money. In order to insure that they have a steady and reliable stream of it, they look at where we spend it. Healthcare is among the largest expenditure with a multifaceted approach (i.e. drugs, medications, tobacco, alcohol, etc.) The other is leasure. Look at it this way, if you enjoy it (be it fishing or smoking cigars) you spend money on it. If you spend money on it, someone has a "cause" against it (PETA, Clean air act, Smoke free America, etc). If someone has a cause against it, the govt. will find a way to appease those on their doorstep. Mostly in some form of taxation. Where there's taxation their must be representation. Representation brings on legislation, so on and so forth. Those who are peaceful and just want to live their lives without someone telling them how to do so are usually labeled "Rebels". You see, it's not Republican, Democrat, or Independent who is the driving force here. The wildfire is driven by "dead presidents", "green backs", the good ole dollar. It's just another way for Uncle Sam to put his hands in your business and pull out an extra $20.


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## Bruced (May 20, 2017)

Del Fuego said:


> It's because of the Tobacco Control Act. It was something that Obama signed back in 2009. The goal was to keep families informed about the dangers of smoking and to keep kids away from tobacco products and tobacco advertising.
> 
> All of this stuff is really about cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Cigars just get dragged along with it.


Well I honestly think there more danger to people from over using & abusing alcohol. But the beer, wines, and distilled liquor industries spend more money lobbing congress than does the handmade Cigar industry.

When was ther last time someone caused a serious traffic indent taking lives, or causing serious industries because they were under the influence of Cigar smoke?


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## ice_nyne (Apr 12, 2017)

Sprouthog said:


> The spin is its good for the health and welfare of the country.
> 
> The reality is it's another revenue stream.


The collateral damage that is cancer smoking deaths doesn't hurt either. It's a form of population control, and to the point of the quote above, another revenue stream (health care, pharma, etc).

I know that's a grim outlook, but we are all adults here.

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## Thig (May 10, 2017)

Bruced said:


> Well I honestly think there more danger to people from over using & abusing alcohol. But the beer, wines, and distilled liquor industries spend more money lobbing congress than does the handmade Cigar industry.
> 
> When was ther last time someone caused a serious traffic indent taking lives, or causing serious industries because they were under the influence of Cigar smoke?


Don't worry they get hit with more than their share of taxes also. The cost of a bottle of bourbon is around 50% tax.


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## Bruced (May 20, 2017)

Thig said:


> Don't worry they get hit with more than their share of taxes also. The cost of a bottle of bourbon is around 50% tax.


It is not just the Feds., who want your TAX Dollars. A recent item was posted for on Half-Wheel about State to State Cigar Tax.

Cigar Taxes by State - halfwheel

I was in a local B & M during the time of the years we get a lot of snowbirds, _winter visitors)_. Guy is buying about 20 boxes, we got to talking. Apparently he lives in Chicago, IL full-time, has a home in Arizona he spends a month in annually, Told me if he buys a $5.00 stick in a local B & M he would end of giving about $9.40 for his pleasure. Thank to State, County, a City Sales & Cigar Taxes.

That is why he was stocking up in our cheap Cigar Tax State,honestly I would just shop on line.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

This is not about the FDA, but it does illustrate that these decisions are made not so much based on the outwardly stated p.r. reasons. 'Public health', 'human rights', 'national security' etc, etc, etc ? Yeah, right. How about money & political power for certain individuals as the real reasons.

The U.S. trades with China, Vietnam, Germany, Italy, and many other countries that wars were fought against. So why is there still an embargo against Cuba, a country who never fought an overt war against the U.S. ? U.S. Presidential election politics. The Cuban-American voting block doesn't want the embargo lifted. 'Human rights' has nothing to do with it, power (getting elected) and money does.

JFK actually wanted to exempt cigars from the embargo. The Tampa, FL cigar manufacturers objected, so Cuban cigars are still embargoed today. Power & money - - - Most likely, the same thing going on with the FDA today in my opinion.

President Kennedy's Plan for Peace with Cuba - The New York Times


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